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With the Golden State Warriors having championship aspirations for 2026, one name whose future isn't set at the moment is young forward Jonathan Kuminga. As the rumors swirl around the Warriors and Kuminga, there's a scout who theorizes what the best scenario for the 22-year-old would be.
Kuminga enters this offseason as a restricted free agent, where if the Warriors can't come to terms on a deal, they will look to get something for him in a possible sign-and-trade. For one scout who spoke to Kevin Pelton of ESPN, that would be the best path for Kuminga.
“The best thing that happens to him is if they sign-and-trade him,” the scout said to ESPN.
There's no denying the tumultuous season Kuminga had, where he showed his talents to start, but an injury and trade for Jimmy Butler saw his production go down. Pelton also says that it's “possible” that Golden State goes down the sign-and-trade path with teams such as the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls being options.
“At 22, Kuminga should become a more consistent contributor over time,” Pelton wrote. “But that's probably more likely with a team besides the Warriors, given the way Kuminga's skill set overlaps with those of Butler and Draymond Green. And it's possible Golden State could be open to a sign-and-trade deal to rebalance the roster.”
“As with every restricted free agent, Brooklyn looms large,” Pelton continued. “If the Nets believe in Kuminga, they have the ability to shape their roster around him. The Bulls could try to put together a sign-and-trade, perhaps sending Nikola Vucevic to the Warriors and placing Kuminga in a role similar to the one DeMar DeRozan once played in the Windy City.”
Jonathan Kuminga has a ‘huge advocate' in the Warriors
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As Kuminga's departure from the Warriors could've been hinted at by head coach Steve Kerr, his talent is undeniable and could help a ton of other teams that need his strengths. The idea of a sign-and-trade was also reported by ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, who mentioned how owner Joe Lacob will extend a “qualifying offer” first since he's been a “huge advocate” of Kuminga.
“Should the Warriors look to move off Kuminga in the offseason, Lacob is not prepared to let the young forward walk away for nothing,” Siegel wrote. “Golden State will be extending a qualifying offer to Kuminga to make him a restricted free agent. While any team could look to sign him to an offer sheet, only the Brooklyn Nets are set to have an abundance of cap space to do so.”
“Lacob, who has always been a huge advocate of Kuminga's, was the reason why the young forward wasn't included in trade dialogue with the Los Angeles Clippers last summer,” Siegel continued.
At any rate, Golden State looks to improve after being eliminated in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
